... Tom at a young age, after the death of his wife, Barton tackles depression and begins to involve himself in the Chartist movement connected with the trade unions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Barton...

...n a far more subtle, yet no less forceful manner, the Boss shares with the reader some views about taxation, slavery (both literal and wage slavery), trade unions, the origins of the German language, the nature of marriage, and probably most powerfully, death. It is a tall order for a relatively brief text, but Twain manages it all with surprising clarity. No one will agre...

...facturing town whose tranquility is disturbed first by the murder of one of its prominent citizens and soon thereafter by a general strike of all the trades-unions. As the story develops, Richard Shackford, the murdered man's nephew, finds himself inextricably caught up in both these events. (Summary by J. M. Smallheer)...